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England and all the colonies which continued unbroken for twenty-eight
years (1).
 
 
To this depressed area and atmosphere Sir William endeavored to apply
the London reforms: he decreed that there were to be no more elections
of members of the House of Burgesses, except to fill vacancies; he
persuaded the churches to abandon membership elections of their
vestries and make them self-perpetuating social religious
organizations; any ship captain who brought a Quaker to Virginia was to
be fined 5,000 pounds of tobacco, a Baptist equally unwelcome; and he
continued the policy of having members of the Council preside over
county courts, fill vacancies and recommend appointment of sheriffs. He
persuaded the Burgesses in 1663 to lay heavy taxes for the building of
thirty-two new brick houses in little Jamestown, and all leading
Virginians were required to build or own a house in or near the capital
for social and relief purposes.  The rates of wages and the
cost of materials were fixed on artificial levels.
 
 
1. Beer's 
Old Colonial System
, II, Ch. VIII, gives an inadequate account of this depression, the
author was unaware of the real causes.